Colours
by Butterfree
Summary: AU. Fed up with not only Gon's lack of a social life but continuing deterioration into the mafia, Mito orders the latest love bot model Palm L92 in hopes that he'd fall in love. What comes in the mail instead is the strongest, heartless battle robot Killua X27. Gon/Killua. Leorio/Kurapika.
1. Chapter 1

Another book, spine yellow and visuals blinding was lodged into their mailbox for the fourth time that week. On its pages read '_Sweet Daze_'. Returning home after a sloppy day in a cellar to the fifty seventh issue filled with art of scantily clad woman was something Mito had grown accustomed to. Don't get her wrong. She wouldn't even use the horrid object as a doorstop lest her unsociable son laid eyes on it. No, it was the exact opposite. She was furious.

They were too dirt poor to spend it away on pleasurable luxuries. She knew exactly who the culprit was. Building nearly deserted, the woman made the trek down to the bottom floor not withholding her angry state. Once in front of an oddly shaped oak door, she banged on it unpleasantly. The one who answered was a chubby man who looked to be in his mid-fifties.

A smirk she wanted to smack off that oily face came to birth. "Why, Mito-chan. You came to visit me on this lovely night? I suppose you're lonely."

"I would appreciate it," she cut him off, "if you would cross my name off your list of tenants to harass."

This man, her landlord to a two story building in a ragged part of town, housed a wholly two families as the rest couldn't take the astronomical bills. He always gave the Freecss a majority discount for some reason which irked Mito to no end. But, it was such a good deal which left her with no choice.

"Harass? I'm offering you free services, because I know how much you'll be needing those books, my love."

"Don't call me that." She snapped. "I have a son who I do not want involved with such scandalous things."

That same smirk she wanted to smack off that oily face erupted in laughter. "That boy…?! He's a good-for-nothing, won't even get a decent job. Trust me, my love. You'll be a lot better off selling your body to me like the good old da-"

"Good day to you too, Mr. Zoldyck." Mito scoffed, making sure to 'accidentally' stomp on his foot while walking past. Once a floor and three rooms down, she finally calmed down enough to heave a long sigh. As much as she detested, disagreed with the large man in every way, it was true that something needed to change with her adopted son. He was turning eighteen this May. Unlike his childhood, the teen no longer bore any people to call friends, nor an honest job or any real life. Demeanor once so bright and attracted any girl vanished into a laughing oblivion. All he did was sit in his room, posture so stiff from staring at the screen, hoping for some sign his father would contact him, that glasses now covered those once perfect brown eyes.

Mito hated it. She loved Gon very much, but he needs to live. She never understood why being surrounded by smelly mechanical parts and a metal mask, inventing some object he would never use, were all he needed. He did bring a large amount of money home once in a while by selling them off to some shady men across town; those from the mafia. But, no. That can't be it. That can't be the end of her pride and joy's life. She would talk to him as many times as it took.

It was nearly midnight. She crept to the room in discrete steps, knocking on the door gently to the muffled call of "come in!" barely making it to her ears. Why, oh why was it so dark? She flicked the switch on, temporarily blinding Gon and whatever he was doing in a slate of light. She understood when she took a look at it. The machine in his lap emitted some rainbow-like patterns through the slit. Despite her earlier surprise at it, she managed to set her plan into motion just in time.

"That looks interesting. What did you make this time, Gon?" She made her way next to him and leaned forward.

"Ah, Mito-san! Welcome back." The boy beamed back at her. He reached a hand behind his head abashed a second later. Nowadays he only ever showed this pleasant side of himself to her. "It's supposed to be a spray can when it's finished. It doesn't look like one, I know. It'll be able to freeze anything I aim the nozzle at. It's kind of hard since it has to do it instantaneously or those men don't want it."

At this, the woman was genuinely curious. "Why do you need the light...?"

"It's not the light. It's the massless energy." She sighed. Gon really was a smart boy, such a stark contrast to when he was twelve. What changed about him? Mito resented her past self for never being around to dote on it. She supposed she should be proud of him, beam and praise whom she still saw as a little boy for all his efforts. Only, she loved him more than that.

"Gon," and suddenly her tone changed. "You know how I feel about those men you work for. What you do is incredible, but who you're doing it for is dishonest. In the hands of the wrong people, your invention could be used to kill others. You'll be much happier with a respectable job." She paused to poke his cheek. "Then I can walk into your room and be blessed with hair covered in baking soda like any mother of a really clever son whose experiment went haywire; not…this." The boy sat un-rattled. It almost unnerved her how blankly he could take things.

"Ging used to do this too." This was a conversation they'd had probably thousands of times.

Mito dislodged a small white handkerchief from her pocket, wiping the sweat off the teenager's brow. This once sensitive topic was nearly routine for them now. "Gon, I know your father did bad things. That doesn't mean you have to follow in his footsteps. My mother was a prostitute. I thought I was destined to take over for her, just as you do." She cleaned the dirt from his hair, reaching for the discarded pillow on the floor while gently pulling his glasses off. "But after my last abortion, sitting alone on the streets, I realized. I didn't have to be doing this. I gave it up and came back to look after you. Even though a scullery maid isn't the best, it's honest."

"But it's not like that." Gon was beginning to feel sleepy as the pillow met his back. "I want…I want to see what was so amazing about Ging's job that made him leave us."

"…I know, Gon. I know." Mito kissed his forehead as his final strands of consciousness gave way to sleep.

Once the soft snores radiated from the boy who hadn't slept in days, the woman did her best to carry him to the bed without waking him up. Honestly, if it wasn't for her Gon would probably work past the apocalypse and come out a week later wondering where all the pits of fire came from. She was the only one who could break into that solid exterior he built up and convince him to retire for the night. It was the minimal power she had as his mother. And as happy as she was about it, it wasn't enough.

"How can I make you happy…?" Mito stared at the lump underneath the blankets in near hopelessness. She would stay there and ponder for an hour every other night but the answer never came to her each and every time.

As expected, she left the room a little over an hour later. Out in the hall, she dimmed the candle lights down and walked to the front door. She still had yet to remove that heinous book from the slot. Gon was always hungry after he slept and would no doubt come out for breakfast tomorrow. Quick fingers tore it into a hundred pieces. Past the shots of negligible clothing and bikini's, the miniscule chance that Mito would halt and catch a glimpse at one of the articles was only met when the coo-coo clock on the wall startled her.

She dropped the shreds on the floor, the second half of the insanely thick book still undamaged. By some funny twist of fate, her tired eyes saw it; a thick header written in black and red.

'_Tired of one-night stands? Looking for true love without the hassle? Then order the latest model Palm L92, an ideal love robot designed by the prodigies in The North to accept you for who you are. Free trials are only available for the month of November._'

After 5 years living with a practically lifeless son, it hit her. A girlfriend, someone for him to fall in love with, hold close, live long lives together and grow old was exactly who Gon needed to be happy.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

Luscious brown locks which cascaded in a waterfall over an exposed back, eyes arranged parallel to pretty pink lips tagged with pale skin. She was the only sweet-looking thing in the whole catalogue, free from the taint which littered the rest of it. What would Gon look like next to such a woman? Mito often came up with scenarios in her head which ultimately backfired, especially after calling the company just to realize that her son was actually shorter than the robot by half a head. Yet, she refused to believe this was a bad idea.

It was late at night. She was cut off from her musings when an object, about the height of her waist, protruded from nowhere in the middle of the hall. At least, she was sure it was from nowhere until the aging woman collected herself off the ground where she tripped and read the fine print.

'_The North_'

Mito froze. Then, almost simultaneously shot up while lugging the box inside the apartment, failing at hiding her excitement. It had taken five days. Her son had slowly weaved back into his three hours of sleep routine and she knew he would be at it for at least another week; but not anymore. There was finally going to be another woman in the house, a charming young girl who could cure Gon of his sacrilege.

"Gon!" She hadn't called him so adamantly since they first settled in.

That had certainly gotten his attention. In his haste to make it to the living room before the crooks that were undoubtedly beating on his aunt with croquette sticks could get away, the young boy raced out into the hall without putting a shirt on first. All that awaited him was a cheerful smile, almost a small smirk.

"Mito-san?" He tilted his head.

"Tired of one-night stands? Looking for true love without the hassle?" The redhead recited from the book. "Then look no further! An ideal love robot designed by the prodigies of The North to accept you, my amazing child, for who you are. I present to you a sweet lady who will be living with us from now on."

Just like the opening of a parade, Gon heard the distinct sounds of drums rolling as his guardian ripped the tape off. It was the first time he saw her so enthusiastic. Although he didn't know why anyone would want to stand for one night or get in a fist fight with love, he admitted he _was_ curious. His attention never wavered even as Mito accidentally gave herself a paper cut or when the tape wouldn't come off properly. Finally, the lid was forced open as the two peaked in.

"…Is she invisible?" Gon piped up to the look of horror on his mother's face.

"What…she's supposed to be in here." Seeing his confused look, Mito trailed on. "N-Never mind, Gon. I'll ask what happened later."

"You'll ask what happened for what?" It was too late. Once the brown eyed boy's curiosity was piqued, he would stop at nearly nothing until he knew what was going on. It was around then Mito would give in, but not this time. This girl was supposed to be a surprise.

"Just forget I said anything and go back to your room."

"You seemed so disappointed, Mito-san! Maybe I can help you."

Oh, those puppy eyes. No one could resist them. It was so much easier to give in and now, she couldn't do it. Yet, the woman knew how persistent the teen was on helping people once he started. Mito brought a hand over her eyes and sighed. The action made the tips of his lip twitch downward. "Listen, Gon. I know you want to help because you're a good boy, but you can't. Just this one time, don't worry about it."

"But that's the first time I've seen Mito-san look so happy…" The spikes in his hair nearly drooped with him. "I don't want to miss it."

For that split moment, Mito was happy alright. After years of being powerless to change her son's demeanor, the hopeless woman was delighted at the chance to surprise and make _him_ happy. Of course in the end things never worked out. She knew she was overreacting. A simple call would settle it, but something about the way Gon had said that boiled a long buried anger within her.

"Miss it…? How, in the world Gon, do you not want to miss seeing something as worthless as my happiness when I missed 13 YEARS of yours?!" She blared so un-expectantly Gon jumped back the slightest bit. Just as he's never seen her unconditionally happy, he's never seen her so angry either. "I want to compensate but nothing I'm capable of EVER helps you! You're just like your father. How do you two do it? Ignore the world so long, never feel any happiness or sadness, never live in any way but the way you paved yourselves and still be so _okay_ with it? I just want you to meet a nice girl and talk to someone for more than two minutes! I just want you to have a family and be the one that's happy! Stop worrying about ME. I WANT YOU TO BE NORMAL, GON!"

Deep breaths, deep dry breaths invaded her throat. She felt sick. That steadily growing trust Gon held for her that she had been working on for years was undoubtedly broken by such flaring words. This was it. It was ruined. It was like Ging all over again. She refused to look at his blank face. In any other situation he'd be rushing to her side to check on her vitals. That he didn't was a horrible sign.

A pin dropped between them. "I don't want a girlfriend, Mito-san." Suddenly, as if she said nothing, he was patting her back comfortingly and asking about her vitals once again. "I'm fine the way things are. We don't always have to be together on every thought."

Mito carefully pushed him away, stumbling the smallest step. "I-I don't want to talk about this right now. We'll…continue this conversation at dinner. You better come out of your room for it."

Gon seemed disheartened but agreed anyway. He held up his right pinkie finger, an old habit they had in the past when making promises, but slouched further when the woman only ignored it in favor for collecting the box off the floor. She didn't want to see this thing again now that Gon had pretty much rejected the idea. No sweet young lady was coming to live with them, no soul mate for her precious boy to fall in love with. Once again, Mito was left powerless.

Refusing his assistance, tired legs made their way out of the apartment by themselves, box wedged between her arms. She really needed a shower and nap after this. First, she intended to crush then throw the object into the nearest fireplace which was located in the longue room on the first floor. Not noticing the second presence in the room, she marched straight to the crevice only to find it bare.

Contemplating if she should just start up her own fire, Mito for one second considered hanging herself off the window ledge; to watch the cars zoom by below her like bugs; to feel the wind on her face; and be away from it all. It was not because she wanted to suicide of course, but rather she would be able to see what others see just before jumping. Then she could laugh as she retreats back into the room telling the world it was just a joke. Nothing in her lifetime could catalyze getting rid of it all.

SLAM! The door behind her suddenly banged shut and made a click sound. Someone locked her in. The redhead didn't have to muse long for grotesque arms made a grab for her body. Without blinking, her back was slammed into the wall. The impact had the woman wheezing.

"Well well well, look who we have here." She didn't have to look up, even hear the voice to know who it was. He simply smelled that bad. Rotting teeth bit into her own lip so hard it bled. This moment lasted until she was left choking on her own blood. "You haven't come to see me in too long, my love."

Her body felt so…unresponsive right now. But when money was involved, there were no negotiations, no consideration put into the words she would spout. This was how she paid off the towering bills. Despite the front she put up, she had been sleeping with the landlord for years. The other places were too expensive, even with her and Gon's income put together. They rarely quarreled to such a high degree. It was best to get this over with. Preparing for the inevitable touch that would course through her thighs, the weight above her suddenly disappeared.

The injured woman dared a peak. Somehow the discarded box on the floor had caught the landlord's attention. Upon reading the words printed on the side, his squinted eyes widened.

"'_The North_', huh…? What are you doing ordering from the most feared nation in the mafia world?" Mito tensed. Mafia? No, that's not possible. All she did was contact a kink store owned by a bunch of scientists with nothing to do with their time, right? This was some horrible accusation. "You're planning some scheme to overthrow me. I'm afraid," he sneered, "I can't let you go."

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

Gon shifted uncomfortably in the crinkled dress shirt, a pastel shade of green with a leaf sewed on its breast and sleeves that reached past his wrists. His aunt hadn't come home the night of their fight. Food cold and forced to stare at the succulent leftover ham as he waited for her, he concluded she must've been too mad at him. Or, gosh forbid she slipped back into her old habits, not to return for days while leeching off another man's purse. He trusted Mito too much to jump to that conclusion.

It was with this resolve that he slipped into the best clothes he had: a shirt, a normal red jacket and jeans, and went to the closest bar in town. Kicking snow off his shoes, Gon peaked in only to realize just how outdated his look really was. He slapped both his cheeks. There was nothing to be ashamed of! The awkward boy sat himself on the hardest stool and ordered water as loud teens in v-collar shirts and high rise skirts chugged on their beers. It looked like some of the dancers were playing twister with how closely they grinded. Speaking of twister, he really needed to break out that mat and play it again sometime. Maybe he could invent a platform twister with motion sensors, three dimensional screens and-

_Focus! _A part of Gon's mind screamed. What was he doing here again? Oh yeah, to make some friends. Gathering his courage the boy stood up, marched to the dance floor head held high, and fell on his face two steps from the stool. _Ouch._ The crackle of those closest laughing at him was drowned out as he noticed he fell right on top of someone.

"Sorry…! I didn't see you." He sprung off him to offer the other a hand. The one he fell on, a boy his age, stared at it for a whole second before getting up himself, refusing to meet his eyes for whatever reason. Upon closer inspection, Gon realized this person was an inch taller than him with somehow perfectly angled skinny arms. And then Gon _really_ looked at him. His mouth fell open in slight awe. Through the blaring seizure-inducing lights above, he could register that the other had _white _hair and angelic-like features. Fluffy bangs of silver protruded every which way and nearly covered half his face. Past the shining strands were eyelashes which stretched for a mile on the pale complexion. Gon instantly desired to see more but the boy _still_ refused to look at him. He couldn't get a good look at his eyes at all. "Uhm, are you okay?"

The other flinched, as if expecting to be hit. "I-I-I…" He shut his mouth; not social, just like him. "It's my fault. E-Excuse me…" A pang of disappointment took over Gon as he sadly watched the other run off in fear. Oh great, and he thought he'd finally made a friend! A really pretty one at that. Brown eyes averted to the flashing ground in a pout. A black object on the floor was casting shadows upon the ceiling. With blinding curiosity, he crouched to pick it up without looking. This was a chance to talk to that angel longer!

"Hey! You forgot…" Gon trailed off in bewilderment when he realized what the item was. The beautiful person was instantly at his side and snatched it away before anyone else could see. Thankfully they were among the only sober ones in the room.

"Th-This isn't what it looks like!" The angel protested. He had been caught and…and…he couldn't fathom what would happen to him now. "This is a fake gun. I just carry it around for protection and if you tell anyone about me then I'll-"

"I won't! It's okay!" Gon lifted his arms up in defense.

"You'll keep it a secret?"

The spiked boy smiled. "I promise, see?" And Gon proceeded to initiate the routine which was stolen from him that afternoon. He offered his pinkie finger. It was such a childish way to make friends. Most people would've ignored it. To his shock, the white-haired boy stared at the hand in sincere contemplation. That cute crinkle which formed on his nose then only made Gon like him a bit more. Hesitantly, the other linked their fingers in a silent oath. They shook on it, though Gon made sure to leave out the 'chu' part.

"…Thank you." The angel titled his delicate neck to place a kiss on his cheek and- _what?_ Gon was sure he died and went to some utopia of girly hormones. So caught up in the shallow wetness on his cheek, there was no chance he could register the angel squeaking an apology and running off once more. That head of silver and lips soft and pink dispersing into the crowd.

Although nothing else eventful happened that night, Gon was left grinning like an idiot until he was back in the confines of his room.

Three days and two nights passed the next time he left it again. So absorbed in his blueprints and bagged snacks it was as if the outside world was disconnected from his subconscious mind. There was some reward for it. As that drive to work towards a goal paid off when the checkmarks on his page piled up, the money in his wallet took that leap, and he could dash out into the hallway announcing to his aunt that he could contribute to their bills.

Except Mito was nowhere in sight; there was no shuffling of laundry or sizzling of fish meat. The only woman Gon ever loved never even checked up on his room to see if he slept which, come to think of it, he hadn't the past three days. It was then Gon sensed that something was wrong, horribly wrong; something that he should've noticed right away if it wasn't for his ignorance. He burst out of the apartment with dark circles in his eyes and hair scattering dandruff on the carpet. On the other end of the floor lived a sick grandma who couldn't move her legs and he knocked on her door, the rest of the building empty. When there was no answer, he called into the cracks.

Blinded by worry he opted to break in only to discover the door wasn't locked. The one room apartment was vacant. Had she moved out? If there was no one else to ask then Gon knew the landlord had something to do with it. He never liked that chubby man who called himself Milluki, for spilling food everywhere and flaunting his power. Plus, they both rivalled each other in knowledge and the man owns a grudge at him for something so trivial. Most of all, Gon noticed how when Mito was in the same room as him she felt so uneasy. Without a second thought the boy scurried to the first floor and broke _his_ door down instead.

The wood of half the door crashed into the wall. Not bothering to dust himself off, Gon raised his voice box, puffed out his chest, and glared daggers at…thin air. There wasn't a trace of anything: papers, documents, not even a speck of dust that it lead him to wonder why the landlord couldn't be this neat all the time. He could host _How Dirty is your House*_ in the graveyard slot just so Gon could find him and kick his ass into a graveyard slot.

He wrecked the pristine picture for a good half hour, flipping chairs and searching for any clue where Mito might have gone. Exasperated, he collapsed on the ground in a bemused heap. A habit of his was to tap his glasses when he needed to think but before that happened, an idea hit Gon so hard he wanted to facepalm for not thinking of it earlier. "Of course!"

In their world there existed two people who were known as the greatest inventors of all time. One of them was a silly man who went by Netero. What made him special? He thought past the limitations of human beings. After years of being relatively unknown, he dropped the bomb and introduced the idea of Nen along with devices to optimize the human sensory systems to their maximum.

The original were body suits for Ten, Zetsu, and Ren. To this day, they remained the most expensive on the market for they were necessary to master in order to use advanced techniques. Glasses for Gyo, a cloak for In, a pair of rings for En, braces for Ken and so on. And, unlike the advanced techniques, once one mastered the body suits, they no longer needed them as the suit would initiate its one-time use and shut down permanently. However, this was rare. Even most of the experienced users would still be running around wearing three straps all at once.

Nen was already a popular label to use for those in wars or in the police force. When Netero went on to release another fifty and ongoing inventions at one time, the world grew more anxious to master them, ignoring Netero's claims that one item was best used depending on the user's developed Hatsu. As can be imagined, it was difficult to master using even one of the Nen brand names. Most hoarded money for years to finally obtain a body suit, perhaps to de-age themselves or perform other miracles, only to never be able to tap into its use at all.

As for Gon…? He had a better chance finding Waldo in China than ever owning any of those.

So, like he always did, he had holed himself up in his room to start building his own version of Gyo from scratch. Three years had passed since then and they still weren't as good as Netero's version. That's what made Netero a true genius. In comparison it took Gon weeks to figure out how to even use Ren without the assistance of the suit.

Taking a deep breath to concentrate, Gon turned his glasses on. Right away he felt the strain on his body. He only had ten seconds. Tired eyes darted around and finally, through some miracle, spotted a speck of aura underneath a discarded bookcase where it shouldn't be. Right when he switched them off he had to bring forth every will in his being to keep from collapsing.

Yes; unlike what Mito thought, there was nothing wrong with his vision. He merely wore them nonstop as a form of meditation. That didn't mean it wasn't hard. Tears collected near his eyelids from the pain. Gon ignored it to rip the carpet off and punch the floor away. Sure enough, a staircase was revealed underneath. Eerie silence and cobwebs paving his way, he stumbled into darkness without anything but an amateur Gyo and the clothes on his back.

Gon didn't need a light to see the many empty wooden weapon racks hanging from the ceiling or leaning on the walls when he reached the end of the stairs. It was clear the landlord had cleared everything out. None of it seemed of concern to him, until it finally occurred to Gon that maybe he might need a weapon of some sort. A cling sounded when he kicked a retractable steel pipe lying on the ground. It must've been a handle of something that broke off. Nothing seemed special about it. Gon shrugged and picked it up anyway.

At the end of the corridor was a suspiciously placed spotlight over a tape recorder. Who used a tape recorder these days? Without thinking he pressed the play button.

"_Hahaha! So you finally come out of that room you worthless brat?"_ Gon stilled. That was the landlord.

"_Going on my research by the time you hear this, three days, 13 hours, and 44 minutes would have passed since your dear aunt's disappearance."_ His eyes flickered to the time on the recorder, mentally calculating the numbers. Milluki was off by 67 minutes. _"So, how about I kill your aunt at exactly that time, huh? You can find her body at the roof of the train station across town. Man, it'll be hilarious to see how your own worthlessness made you lose the one you love most!" _Gon clenched his fist. How dare he?! Mito never did anything to him. Now Milluki was playing this game just to spite him as he laughed upon his throne of heritance.

But, it was thanks to this game that gave Gon a chance. Milluki was a genius but like him wasn't very smart. He now knew he had 66 minutes to save her. The train station was an hour away if he sprinted. Even if it sapped all life out of Gon he'd bring himself back to life to save her before going anywhere.

_Just that one person, don't let that one person die…_

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

"Sir, how long are you planning to stretch this?"

"Quiet!" A plump hand smacked the man on the head which caused his mafia sunglasses to fall off. "You take my orders! We have to drop the woman at the right time or it means nothing!"

"But, sir…"

"Do I need to smack you again? And besides…" Milluki's tense expression suddenly went into ecstasy as he adjusted his hold on the barely conscious woman in his lap, recalibrating an angle to rub. "I'm enjoying this."

Two of the men dared to spare a glance at each other in deep thought. To kill someone you've been sleeping with for years was one thing. To be scandalizing her in front of everyone until the final moments of her life; the two suppressed a shiver. The Zoldyck's were truly a heartless family. Another of the burlier ones held a golden watch which belonged to the landlord whom was too busy to spare glances at it. Then, "30 seconds, sir."

"Perfect!" Milluki squealed. His sweaty fists seized a lock of Mito's hair until the roots were hanging by the skin and shoved her facials into the gravel beneath them. She let out a dry scream muted by strands of her hair. He mercifully stopped only to impale his foot into her scalp next, pushing until the stones grazed every inch of her face. He wanted this woman to be butt ugly when she was sent to the afterlife. Finally, as the man gave a signal, hung her over the edge on the railing where Mito could finally see what others see just before jumping.

"5,"

"4…"

"3-2-1." Milluki impatiently chortled. What stopped him was a pebble which was thrown right into his eye. "G-AAAH! Who did that?!"

Now, as clever as Gon was he wasn't at all the type to think when his emotions took over. That may or may not be considered his downfall as he burst out from the employee's only entryway from the train station, instantly drawing the attention of a dozen men and a frustrated Milluki at the center of them. Instantly the boy took advantage of their shock to run forward to deck the two closest guys in the face, sending them both flying across the surface. One of the lower ranked men who didn't have a gun attempted to charge forward in a kick. Gon blocked it with his arm and grabbed his ricocheted leg just in time to slam the smallest of them into another gaping agent in the way. They both screamed as the force sent them off the edge.

Finally recovering from his stupor, Milluki screeched. "GET HIM!"

Three men with guns aimed them at Gon who was running in their direction. They were all ordered not to kill Gon yet but to apprehend him. "Freeze, or you'll-" They all blinked spastically when the boy unexpectedly brought out a spray can instead. What would he do with that? Make them smell nice? Their theories were answered as out from the nozzle came a sparkling light and water. Someone froze alright but it wasn't Gon. In seconds their bodies were covered in thick ice. Seven down.

Milluki gaped like a fish. "W-W-What the heck? Get him I said!" Some of the remaining five backed down in fear. Eyebrows tensed and teeth clenched, the chubby man's sudden anger dissipated into a frown. "May I remind you what will happen if you fail? I suppose your bodies will make a nice profit when I sell them."

Instantly all but the one who was counting on the watch flinched and they charged forward. Right as the closest man at front entered Gon's range the rifle was scathed and misdirected to shoot at a neighbouring water tower. Still in recoil, he slipped up and allowed the spiked boy to snatch the rifle away from him. Like a hard rock, Gon smashed the handle into that man's temple just as the second soldier aimed a bullet at him. Unfortunately it hit his ally instead. Gon took this opportunity to fire his own shot at the armed man in the thigh. Immediately he fell down, clutching the appendage in withering agony as blood filled his vision. Nine down.

Just as Gon readied himself for the next round, he felt the cold drops of two nuzzles itch into his back. The remaining two in the fray had taken the chance to sneak behind him. "Playtime's over." Both their knees still shook in slight fear, despite having their target at gunpoint. Meanwhile the man with the watch had his gun pointed at Mito for precaution. "Put your hands behind your head."

Slowly, Gon complied with a hard frown. Milluki's growing irritation grew into a smirk. He didn't dare admit that there was some relief in his voice as he laughed. "Not so tough now, are you brat?"

"Can I just ask something before you kill me?" The landlord's amusement halted right away. He wanted this kid to cry, to panic! Why wasn't he affected at all? Milluki tightened his grip on the railing. Mito finally opened one eye enough to recognize Gon in horror. She wanted to scream, to tell him not to worry about her but only tears could fall. "Why…why are you doing this to Mito-san? She didn't do anything to you."

"Huh…" The pig blinked. Gradually, that look drowned itself into a scowl. "And here I thought you had something more inspiring to say before you die. You see, little boy, as you may have heard I am one of the five sons of the Zoldyck family. But let me tell you something, I am the weakest of them." This made Gon raise a grim brow. The landlord admitting to being inferior was such a feat, this family must be something. "For that reason, I was given to a lesser family when I was five and have this petty position as a landlord and mafia general you see today."

The boy in hostage nearly felt bad for Milluki, _almost_. "I can't change that. What do you think I found comfort in? Beautiful women of course!" Here he snickered. "2D ones just weren't enough anymore. I started my own farm of women. Just man to man here, some were hideous I tell you." Gon only darkened his look. Was he supposed to get that joke? Milluki let out a laugh seeing his frustration. It was just so much fun to tease the cornered mouse. All those mind games he and Gon would play before were finally worth it. After half a decade of losing, Milluki finally came out on top.

"Your aunt here," he caressed her mutilated face. He wanted to enjoy this moment. Mito was inwardly begging Gon to escape. "She was one of my top clients. Not only would she sleep with me for minimum wage, she'd steal and forge from business leaders. It was all great until your father broke into my farm. He said he was helping a childhood friend or something, and just took her with him! He killed a hundred of my men in ten minutes and left me for the beasts to eat. After escaping, I swore I would get my revenge!" Milluki's clenched fists pointed at Gon. "And it starts with you, now that Ging isn't here!"

With one final sneer, it was over. "Shoot him!"

"…!"

The man with the watch fell, two bullet wounds in his right shoulder. The red liquid mixed with the snow and gravel, creating an artwork of candy canes and chocolate. _W-What..?_ With his last bit of strength emitted from pure terror, a squinty eye could make out the steel pole no one knew Gon had. It was now extended to half length behind his back, the thicker side smashed into the men's guns, both the lower left so the bullets' trajectory flew past him.

There was no way Gon planned all of this. Milluki had everything down to the last decimal place. The brat was clever, just as clever as him when it came to knowledge but his downfall was he rushed into things. His weak point should've been in a battle, where emotions were at stake.

With a last move, Gon took out the two behind him with one diagonal hit from the rod. Only one left. Mito only stared at Milluki's coming demise, her voice long dried out. The sociopathic man scowled, wanted to rip his own flesh apart, punch a wall until his knuckles bled, catch some rare infection and die peacefully. Anything but being killed by this brat was fine. With his rod, Gon lifted Milluki's head to look him straight in the eye.

"I win again, mister." He grinned.

It was then Milluki realized how scary Gon's instincts were.

"…"

"Let my aunt go and I won't kill you, okay?"

"I-I…If you kill me I'll warn you now the whole mafia will be after your head!" Milluki went to his last resort. "I'm one of the sons of the Zoldyck family."

"That's true, but I don't really care." Gon's smile fell. "Please let her g-" The sudden cling of the pole hitting cement caught both their attention. Gon's vision fell hazy. It took him a moment to realize it was his rod, littered with blood. _No, wait…my own blood? _Something felt off about his arm. Only when his index finger tacked forward did he realize there was a bullet in it.

"He he, quite the trouble you're having, huh?" They both turned to the sight of a short round man with a monocle. He twirled his mustache between his fingers until it shone. "Only an amateur wouldn't be able to see. This kid's weakness…" he lifted his gun again. "….is he has no long range attacks. Of course, I kept him alive because I find him quite interesting."

"A-Agh, master!" Milluki sputtered in panic. While he was merely a general, this man was the vice boss of the entire family. They were far from one of the strongest out there; the ones who aimed to rule all human fighters and robots to their bidding. They merely monopolized dead bodies. "Um, as you can see I-"

The man shot a bullet straight through Milluki's heart. "You on the other hand, I've lost interest in."

Head into cement, Gon clenched his teeth. How could he do that to his own ally? He didn't understand it, he couldn't and just as he wanted to yell this, a new group of men with guns infiltrated the roof, their suits and badges of a different color. The formation they took once on scene was well trained. Gon knew this wasn't going to be as easy.

"Now, I want to make this smooth for the both of us." The short man continued to play with his facial hair in a way that just made Gon want to press a cheese grater against his face. "I'll let you join us and take the place of that overrated Milluki Zoldyck. I've reviewed your notes before. You're just as knowledgeable, if not more than him…and you've provided the mafia with quite a few interesting inventions in the past. And let's just say…if you say no or run away, this lady here dies." Gon nearly flinched. He saw those tears gather in Mito's eyes from the corner of his vision.

"_I WANT YOU TO BE NORMAL, GON!"_

But how could he be normal? If he took Milluki's position that meant he had complete authority to free her, but then he'd be bound and belong to the mafia for life. She would cry, think herself a failure but Gon knew with all his will that she wasn't. It was the opposite. He'd be a failure as a son if he let her die.

Gon lifted his head with a hard resolve. "Okay."

He swore he could hear her bawling behind him, despite the complete silence. Then, rain sounded above them. It was strange since it was completely cloudless this morning.

"Good. Now as an oath when you first join, it's tradition that the boss or vice-boss gives you a 'sample' of what happens when you betray us. Turn around." Gon obeyed, hearing sounds of one of the men passing a blade behind him. He had remembered seeing Milluki walk around without a shirt before. The landlord had long scars along his back from years ago. And he knew this would be painful.

The wind blew as preparations were done.

A swish of the sheath being removed rung.

And then, lightning stuck between them.

Rain and wind blew into his face. It drowned him in a hurricane of black and blue, as if the heavens couldn't decide whether to kill him through lack of oxygen or too much oxygen. Gon choked, opened his eyes to see that he was somehow kilometers off the ground. Someone was carrying him and _flying_ through the expanse of water and air. The atmosphere from the high altitude would've had him lose consciousness if he were not a mountain kid when he was young, but it was still hard to breathe. What was happening? It was kind of awesome. But this wasn't the time for that!

He could finally open his eyes when feet met gravel. Catching himself from falling at the last second, Gon frantically turned in confusion. Where was Mito-san? Did that guy who looked like monopoly somehow trick him? He gritted his teeth ready for battle, whipped around with fists barred. On whoever killed Mito, he _would_ shed blood.

Just as quickly, all energy left him.

Before him was that same pretty angel from the bar, hair so white it made him think of clouds and cotton candy. Fragile but strong was that figure which complimented fair complexion perfectly. Instantly, all accusing thoughts went away. Of course, this kind person hadn't planned anything bad. They _saved_ him. Flew in just as he was about to be hashed and brought him somewhere safe. Gon was left staring. For the first time, he saw those eyes. They were a sapphire blue of the loveliest kind. Drenched in downpour, Gon felt his heart stop at who was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Driving on impulse, he wanted to run up to hug him.

"**Killua X27 awaiting instructions…"**

Only, no; something was wrong.

Those sapphires were empty sockets over layering black.

The soaking boy reached out. He froze as soon as those blue eyes refocused back on to him. He felt like he was murdered by eyesight alone.

"**Welcome to The North's latest technology and networking system. This is model Killua X27 and he has been programmed to protect and serve you for as long as you command it…"**

Words, words, and more words. This angel was talking but Gon knew it wasn't really him. His brain wanted to burst. It was saying too much. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened again to finally inquire shakily the first thing that came to mind. Still in shock, "w-why…why didn't you save Mito too? She's…!"

"…**Negative. No Mito registered in the data base."**

It was then Gon realized this person's bangs only came down to his eyebrows while the angel at the bar had hair grown to cover his eyes. His eyelashes weren't nearly as long or delicate and his height was a full two inches less than what he remembered. But his _voice_, his voice was what drove Gon over the edge. It wasn't sweet and shy like the other night. It was cold. Emanated the demise on all of human kind.

This wasn't the same person from the bar at all.

And suddenly he remembered. The last thing he said to Mito was: _"we don't always have to be together."_

Gon fell into a teary mess.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

**So this idea has been on my mind for a while. I've had notes planned out for this to almost the end and let me tell you, this is going to be a long story. Do you readers think I should continue?**

*** Reference to '**_**How Clean is Your House?**_**'**


	2. Chapter 2

The pink bud of a Hibiscus burst from a crack in the cement that formed during winter. The rainstorm that developed initiated numerous reactions. Spreading its leaves to catch the falling water, the greens quenched themselves, the people squeaked for cover, and rain water smashed against the ceiling of an abandoned warehouse. Yet the one boy in the aforementioned building remained oblivious to it all. The warehouse was the best he could do for shelter without spending any cash. This weather did nothing to help him subdue the memories of his doomed aunt.

"**Gon Freecss."**

He nearly cursed when he made an amateur mistake, giving a fresh blue cut to the mirror from the laser. Bringing the lens away from the microscope, a long sigh escaped when all the glass did was shatter into a million pieces just seconds after. His specialty was supposed to be inventing yet what he had accomplished in the latest fractions of his life was akin to moving a single centimetre on the dirt road when in a cross country race. Almost all of his remaining money already went to the miniscule amount of equipment in front of him. Gon buried his head in his hands. Soon enough, his tired self slumped. It was moments when he stopped thinking that his mind wandered back to that bloody day of Milluki's death.

Gon usually prided himself in having a bad memory but that moment would flash before his eyes every opportunity it had. A bright light; it took him a while to realize it was lightning, flashed before him and suddenly he saw himself racing back to the rooftop in any hope that those men would wait for him; that Mito may have still been alive. All that met him was an empty train station. Disbelieving, jaded feet sprinted back to Milluki's apartment right after for any clues on where they could have gone. The muscles in his thighs bled. His optimism nearly killed him. Obviously, when he finally made it back the whole building was in flames. Firefighters rushed past. The onlookers of York New stared in awe. Everything Gon owned was burnt to a crisp; everything but Gyo, the cash from his last paycheck, and the clothes on his back which were, not so coincidentally, the only things he brought with him.

"**Gon Freecss."**

Since then, Gon refused to book a room. The grief-stricken boy had punched a few walls. He kicked a puddle at anyone who his delusional vision saw as even resembling a short fat man with facial hair. Frankly, the boy _lost_ it and screamed. Everything was just _gone_. He had to take out his anger on _something_. That's when it hit. Again, his optimism killed him. What if Mito wasn't dead yet? Those men wouldn't just dispose of her if they wanted to recruit him. That must've been it.

This train of thought was what convinced him. At first he had rampaged deserted streets in search for revenge. He was Gon after all. When he has asked, downright demanded people of what they knew of a mafia family, all he found out was that yesterday had been the last day of the worldwide auction and whichever family he was looking for was long gone. He searched any car that passed for days and found nothing.

That was when a highly glitched plan formed in his head. He needed weapons, more inventions to find and bust in, the bigger the explosion the better. The greater and more people it killed, the more confidence. The first step was to improve his Gyo, which was what he was doing right now, so then he could use them to find their base. Once there, he would massacre everyone who had to do with it. One punch, a stab would do it.

Mito would be safe and never will his bloody hands be clean again; just the way he wants it.

"**Gon Fre-"**

"Move that box in the corner to Bull Market, then Ringon Airport," Gon snapped as he swept the glass with a narcoleptic flick of the wrist. "Turn around and walk back to Bull Market with it. Do that about twenty times, okay?"

After that, Gon registered the distinct rummaging sound of cardboard being dragged across the floor behind him. When he was heating up a new portion of glass, the door banged on the other side of the room and he once more found himself alone. Only a minute later, he slammed his head against the desk, letting out a childish groan. It felt like he hit rock bottom. Both his mood and personality turned so bitter so quickly. He had no idea how to act around Killua anymore.

The robot that seemed now to never say anything but Gon's name had followed him like a puppy, a murderous cold puppy who gave empty stares. He would insistently say his name in infinite loop until the master would give him instructions to do; probably something to do with how he was programmed. It was as if he was reverted to a Pokémon. Now you would think each time it was said would be different; only, no. Killua spurted that one phrase with that same casual tone, that same note on the piano, and with that same twitching of the nerves without fail. Killua could be told to do anything without complaint. That ranged from ridiculous meticulous things to the most heinous of actions.

Gon wasn't oblivious to the concept of robots; he was an inventor after all. There were two main categories of robots in their world. The first was a love bot, a revolutionary invention that can eat, sleep, and feel love and pain just as any other human could do. Their one downfall was just that, they had no special capabilities past what humans could do. The difference was they would do anything you wanted. As a result, they were usually the object of lust or lonely widows who decided a house full of cats was not enough. That was the type of robot Mito probably intended for him to have. Gon didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or chug down a bottle of ketchup to rid himself of the thought.

The second was more widely known in the mafia, the battle robots. Battle robots, on the other hand, possessed super human powers but no emotion or heart. He recalled once when he was twelve, he watched a documentary where a man took apart a battle robot, only to reach the chest and point out a vacant black spot where the heart should be. The picture still sent shivers down his spine, which was a hard thing to do.

In order to promote variety, there were many models for each category. Gon could only conclude that Killua X27 was one of them. Possibly some model which was either new or used by a previous family that needed some jobs done that involved murder or treason. It was like night and day in the way love robots and battle robots were designed. There was no possible way to make them any more different than they were. But, there was one single attribute, aside from being artificial, that convinced humans to categorize these two polar opposites under the same concept.

Neither had a free will.

Gon clenched his fists. He refused to ever _use_ one to help avenge Mito. Ironically, he knew that if he just rid himself of his damn pride, one battle robot would be enough to take care of the job. But, once more, he was Gon. Robots were incapable of having any emotion and all they could do was take orders. They felt no love aimed at them. Despite being an inventor, he knew little of a robot's blueprints aside from trivial information. The sheer amount of data a chip needed to hold to have one single robot do both was out of comprehension. These killing machines were like a computer for cowards to use.

Of course, through all deities which drove Gon's person, he knew it was dumb to believe things without any strong feeling towards it. At most the opinion should be a casual picking. Never should he let other people tell him what to do-and here, the boy cringed. Another memory, this time from five years ago, flashed in his mind as the lightning picked up once more.

"_I found him in the dump! He's my second best friend. Don't worry, you're still my best-ie."_

"_Others think he's scary but I think he has a good look in his eyes, right?"_

And his own experiences burned from within him a deep rage. Before Gon knew it, the glass cracked in his hands. So stiff, they failed to let go in time before the edge drove deep into his right palm. Bright red liquid spilled out, latching to the table. His thumb flinched but otherwise, he didn't react at all. Gon stared at the blood. All he could see was this blood leaking from Mito's cranium, the blood flowing out of Wing's stomach, and now redness staining his own jacket sleeve.

A wet cloth suddenly blocked his vision. Gon snapped out of it.

It was only then he realized he had been gawking at his own wound for an hour and Killua had returned from his goose chase. Those pale fingers slowly pried his own tan fist open to dab at the dried blood. The glass pieces in his palm fell to the floor with a clang. When every inch from his wrist to fingertips was clean, Gon felt a second cloth being wrapped between his thumb and index to the other side of his hand in a firm knot.

Then, the robot went back to his corner as if nothing had happened.

In a daze, Gon slowly picked up the shards off the floor. The black-haired boy was slipping back in his chair when Killua resumed looping that same mp3 clip of his name in what was a sharp steadily emotionless voice. This time, the inventor ignored it. As the day wore away and Gon lay on the cold floor, resting for the first time since that horrible event, one final thought crossed his mind just as he gave away to sleep.

'_I didn't order him to do that…_'

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

It was only a matter of time before that run down warehouse collapsed one humid evening. Luckily, both he and Killua escaped unscathed from the debris. Half of that was due to the fact that neither of them was sleeping at the time. The robot's battery life allowed him to stand guard without falter for five days straight. Gon mused on how his reason wasn't that easy. Of course, he could always blame the wind on this particularly fierce night. The force driving against a squeaky hinge above their windows would keep anyone awake. But the thoughts clouding his usually simple mind muffled all noises. All of it was too foreign to him, the strange sounds not helping. Sapphire blue blinked in rhythm with honey brown, almost glowing in the dark of the night.

Oh, if only Killua were asleep, Gon could maybe occupy his time with shameless ogling. But the other stared at his master so intently that Gon felt metaphorical holes burned into his nose and was forced to turn his back on him. He had no room in his head before or now to deny it; he did find Killua attractive. It was a passing attraction; nothing like the pure love he was sure he felt for that angel the other night.

Gon sighed. Both of them were distant despite living together. It was the first time he was stumped on what to do. Speaking of stumps, he saw a nice one outside of an old granny smith apple tree. Without question, his thoughts wandered to his lunch that day. So lost, his sensitive ears did not notice how the wind picked up until it was too late. That was when they heard the cracks.

Stranded at the edge of the city with winds picking up, Gon finally concluded; he needed a job. Not the job he's been doing this whole time or those ones where you'd have to pass a silver coin to get through, but a nice honest place to kick start whatever resemblance of a normal life he had left. Perhaps he could even enroll in a school for his senior year. He would be ordinary for however long it took him to find that mafia family. Then, he'd forever be sunk back into darkness.

It was the least he could do for Mito.

Gon had the perfect job in mind. It was offered in a city which resided in a desert a little ways away, but could be reached by subway then train and offered a lot more money than the minimum wage jobs at York New. He didn't want to leave the city where the short mustache man was last seen. Those people were probably thousands of miles away by now though. He picked his backpack filled with things he managed to save while running, his glasses being one of them, and left.

The two stepped onto the quickly crowding subway car. Locating the closest seat, Gon tiredly plopped down on the red velvet. He had been sitting on cement and tile all day that the cloth was heaven to him. The boy had yawned loudly, drew a potted flower on the fogged windows, and cracked his right index knuckle before noticing that the robot was still standing there. Right against the yellow line and on the edge of activating some sensor that would've alert him to move, Killua almost looked _unsure_.

Just as the doors opened to a new stop, Gon patted the seat beside him. Almost like some switch had been flicked, Killua was back to his mechanic self as he marched to the seat next to him. The transformation was to the point that Gon was nearly positive that the previous demeanor was just his imagination. A minute later and no one made a sound. The unusual silence pierced through the inventor's ears.

It took another minute for Gon to realize _why_ it was so silent. The entire car was staring at them or, more precisely, at Killua in some form of awe. He couldn't completely blame them. Killua's once in a century silver-white hair and deep blue eyes would attract attention anywhere, but this was the first time the two had gone out in public. With his slim pale body and delicate features, it didn't take long for the whispers to grow. Innocent middle scholars giggled, a shy boy across from them blushed, only the one granny on board managed to look away in favor of the scarf she was knitting in her lap. Some men in their twenties and thirties were not so subtle. Gon twitched when a large portion of those stares reverted to voyeurism. The robot had been reduced to some freak show. Gon didn't like that.

Finally, the spiked boy grinned at all of them. "Ne Killua, when do you want to book our wedding?" Gon motioned to the scribbles on the window written in hexadecimal code.

'_What is the month of your creation?'_

Killua looked away. "…July."

It was the first time Gon heard a voice which was not pre-recorded. "I see."

And that shut everyone up. Now they directed their gawks at Gon, emotions twisted into disgust, remorse, or whatever. Gon didn't mind. It was much better than what was happening before. When he could help it, he preferred when people accepted him but if those people happened to be jerks then that was a whole other story. With a satisfaction which fed off the atmosphere, Gon reached into his backpack to pull out a mechanics report and flipped to his last bookmarked page. It was haggard but lent from an acquaintance.

So caught in his reading, he failed to notice the glance his seatmate gifted him every few minutes. A whole six hours later and nearly everyone else in the car had filed out at some point. That was when strangely, Killua decided to speak first.

"**Destination…?**"

Gon's lips twitched downward. "We're almost at the stop then we'll have to go on a train. The town doesn't have a name." The paper rustled in his lap as he turned his attention away from the text.

"**Searching reference files…negative. No town without a name found on the map.**"

"Stop talking like that." When Killua didn't respond, the spiked boy sighed in apology. They were both worn out. Gon could only wish he were as bouncing and positive as he was when twelve. He never believed Mito when she said he simply changed _too much_. Now, Gon was beginning to feel the effects. For the past few weeks, no part of him thrived off communication, not even a meeting of the eyes, before he went back into his demented bubble. No wonder this wasn't going well. But wait, why did he even care? This was a battle robot; the same species which-

Gon stopped himself there. He didn't need to remember unnecessary things.

The boy had pride in being stubborn. That was one thing that never changed. Yet now he could sort of see how their rocky relationship was probably his fault. With this new discovery, a strange burst of energy lifted his spirits. Suddenly, Gon knew what to do once more. He turned to Killua.

"My friend lives there. He's the one who offered me a place to stay and a job if I ever had no place left to go." A genuine smile found its way to his face. Somehow it didn't hurt. "He's really rowdy and got in a fight with the aristocrats about the name. Pietro-san always went on about how he represented the rustics. In the end he decided to keep the town nameless since it's special…how cool is that?" The boy allowed a sheepish grin which made Killua's eyes widen. This was the most he'd said since they met and relief washed over him. "The town has lots of places to sight see and nice people! I think you'll like it."

"**Your model Killua X27 is not-**" the robot cut off the audio, still in a daze. Only after would he realize his mistake. "I…can't like things."

Gon placed a finger on his chin in thought. An idea popped into his head. "Do you like chocolate?"

"**Killua X27 does not require consumption of vitamins or medication for nutritional value. Please read section 7.1 part b of the manual to receive further instructions. The operator will now proceed to explain. His circuits are powered by lack of movement which initiates the state of Brownian motion behind the eyelids-**" Gon decided to tune him out after that. It may have seemed insignificant to anyone else. However to him, having Killua utter one sentence of his own free will was an astronomical start. And now, all he'd have to do was prove that he _can_ like something.

After all, who doesn't like chocolate?

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

The train rolled behind, leaving a dust cloud to bask in his airways as Gon quite fervently fanned the sand away from his eyes. After having slept against a pillar last night and then being forced to sit on a mass of coal in the back cart with no food service, most people would've collapsed in exhaustion. Their lack of rest and eating had scared a few of the assistants on the vehicle. Gon assured them it was fine and made a few friends; something he hadn't done in a long time. It was sad to let them go so abruptly but he had a stop to get off on.

What awaited him should have been fountains of riches piled into streets of silver and white, women dressed in full dated dresses far too inconvenient to saunter in and puppies groomed to perfection. Instead, there was more sand. Half crumpled buildings covered in it provided what little shade for men in ragged undershirts sweating under the sunlight while mining or digging up water. Several structures lay half fallen. Some were cracked and the remnants of intricate wallpaper were exposed. Gon stared wide eyed.

"Wh-What happened? I mean…" He was speechless. That rarely happened. This town used to be the central meeting ground of rich folks. The two made their way down the hard sidewalk littered with urine. Some women with beards which reached their stomachs bore enviously at Gon and Killua's average though by their standards luxury clothes. The two turned into an empty street. At closer inspection near a dark alleyway those men appeared to be digging for something not so innocent as water. As soon as Gon saw the arm of a corpse stick out from the sand though, one burly man ushered them away quite violently. "And don't ever come back!" He spat at their feet shamelessly.

"Okay, see you then…or not." Gon waved unfazed but still confused. This didn't make sense. Why would everyone be burying dead bodies? It would make sense if they were meant as burial grounds but counting by the color of the arm, that person had been dead for a very long time.

Particularly perplexed, he wheel around a corner and was caught off guard. He collided right into a disordered man, sending all of the other's heavy belongings to the ground. "Wah…!" Gon registered the feeling of his body falling backwards. The consequences of the exchange had been mutual. The much shorter unfocused boy nearly came crashing down if not suddenly, two strong arms latched onto his shoulders.

Gon looked up to meet sapphire eyes. "Ah sorry, thank you!" It was such an ungraceful mistake for a guy who could beat a swarm of mafia.

"Clumsy id-" Killua stopped. He pushed him on his feet. "**…Restrain your pleasantries.**"

Gon had no time to retort when the one who had dashed into him snarled. "Watch where you're going, kid! I got no time to be running into brats like you."

There was no point starting a fight. He bowed. "Sorry, mister….I'll help you pick up everything."

"Hmph, sure." Well that was easy. This strange man had lots of unusual contraptions littered on the floor, most Gon wouldn't expect to see from what seemed to be reduced to a poor backwater town. In fact, a lot of these were machine parts. His inventor mind ran wild. This screw would've been perfect for building a cannon and another metal container for a rifle; there was even a bomb in this one bag-

Here Gon drew back. The sack was snatched from his hands. Some part of his mind registered Killua chucking the item thirty feet in the air and striking it with lightning ejected from his fingertips. It immediately exploded above their heads, not too large of a bomb but definitely enough to kill. That's when Gon realized it was set to go off in mere seconds. His head shot back to see the robot holding the man at claw point.

"**If you traitor, do not coincide with my master's wishes, I will be forced to behead you.**" To have such a specific statement pre-recorded; Gon had to wonder just how many bad things Killua had seen.

The man squeaked at first, sweating a fountain partly due to the heat but that didn't seem to stop his mouth. Those features, there was no mistaking it. "Y-You're a Killua model."

"**Wrong answer-**"

"Let him go, Killua." Gon interjected.

The man fell to his feet gasping for air. Right as his cheeks returned to normal colour, he was left under the deadly gaze of the killing machine. "L-Look, brat…! That bomb was for my job. That's why I was hurrying so much you know. Th-Those guys don't trust me so they start the timer before handing it to me just to see how fast I can run. It's some messed up ritual for them to claim this territory. I didn't mean to threaten your master or whatever!" He held up his hands and the other human's gaze softened.

"Is your job the mafia?" The man froze; bull's eye. Gon deflated at this. Now it made sense. The mafia must have done something to this once peaceful place. That also explained why no one seemed to bat an eye at the explosion just now. "Hm…just promise not to tell anyone that we're here, okay mister?" He seemed to hesitate in thought but eventually let out an earnest nod that made Killua narrow his eyes even as he watched him embrace Gon in gratefulness, gather his bags and scamper off.

"**Not lying…but not the truth either.**"

Gon smiled sadly. "I know."

They continued on their way despite the near death experience. Further down the street was that old candy shop with the best cocoa beans in the world which used to be Gon's favorite. It was still there. A star shaped chocolate the size of Gon's eye was on display for a whopping thirty dollars. Immediately the boy shook his head. He'd have to get the chocolate elsewhere. Killua wasn't so quick to move on. He stared at the treat in what seemed to be bewilderment, quickly forgetting what happened earlier. Seeing this, Gon gave in. He told Killua to wait outside because he wanted it to be a surprise.

Surprisingly, the inside of the shop hadn't changed much. The checkered floors and tattered billboard shaped as a Toucan with a lollipop were still where he remembered. Unlike the other shops, Gon peered around in slight awe. This new owner thankfully had time to clean as well as they could. At the sound of the rusted bell of a customer, a chubby woman rushed out. She had cucumbers on her eyes and looked to be in the middle of a facial due to lack of business. "Y-Yes, sir…! What would you like?" The cucumbers slid off. Her eyes shined slightly. Gon wasn't bad looking. She always wanted a handsome boy as a son.

Noticing the woman's state, Gon sympathetically smiled back. "Which chocolate is the best here?" Just as he predicted, she pointed out the little star on display before offering cheaper varieties if it was too much. This lady really was trying her best. Gon shook his head, asking for a new star chocolate wrapped in a silver and blue box for safe keeping. After all, the box was nice and cost next to nothing.

"Oh, for your girlfriend?" She winked.

Gon sweat dropped. "Not really…"

When the transaction was complete, Gon for a moment considered how much it looked like he was going to propose to someone with the size of the treat. He shrugged it off, laughing. Marrying someone while being offered chocolate did sound like fun. It had been so long since he last went out in daylight to shop, take a walk, eat treats, or do _anything_. So far, he was having fun. This was despite the town's state and resulting overwhelming pressure of doom looming over him. It was weird. He still wanted to smile past all that. Opening the door, he spared a second to wave enthusiastically before leaving the store and walking to the window.

The inventor's head whirled around. Killua was nowhere to be seen. That was so unlike him what with his follow master's orders this and I'm too stingy to talk normally that. The smell of rotting corpses cut off any of that sweet ocean scent Killua somehow seemed to have. Did he wander off? It was possible. As he took radial steps around the corners of the building, something in Gon's gut told him he was direly wrong. His puzzled mind resorted to listening in on any unusual sounds. Instead, they picked up muffled cries.

His heroic instincts instantly kicked in. Killua could take care of himself but whoever this was would be helpless. Down a jaded path, through a once bustling abandoned restaurant and through an alley the width of a head and a half, Gon ran towards the cry after pocketing the chocolate. Sometime in the restaurant a wooden pole used to hold up a sign blocked his path. He ripped it from its hole in the ground and tied it to his back with a table cloth. The inventor had grown a fondness for the weapon. Peering around a barrel, he halted just in time to watch without being seen. This was the same place that he had bumped into the man with the bomb earlier.

"Do you have the money or NOT?!" It was an ape-like man with a buzz cut. Another was behind him but adorned lanky arms and earlobes which stretched to his elbows. A much more delicate figure in a cloak sat folded in the corner, nursing oil which leaked from his arm in continuous droplets. It didn't seem to bother them other than that. Gon looked on gravely; that person must've been a robot too.

"I-I told you…he s-said we're running short on cash this month and…" Gon blinked again, something in that voice was familiar to his sensitive ears. Yet, Gon found it difficult to concentrate on it for the feeble voice grew meeker with each word.

The cornered boy kept his eyes to the floor. These two men were new to the business so this was his first time dealing with them. "He said he wanted the weapons for a dis-c-count, I mean, I um…please?"

The one with burly arms snorted. "Ah, so this is why those other guys always came back with half the money when they were in this area! All this time they were being seduced by some slut. Look kid, we don't want no sex. We just want full price for these flamethrowers you're buyin' or no sale!"

The timid figure blushed red and looked to the bleeding puddle. "P-please, if not sex th-then…I'll do anything else! This is all the money I-I have." What answered was an aggressive punch to the cheek which stung his senses and buckled his teeth. Gon's breath hitched. The hood of the cloak whipped off to reveal snow white hair.

Before the body even hit the ground, even before any of them could blink, the spiked boy had rushed in and decked the first man across the face. The lanky accomplice recoiled in shock. "What the-!" Gon tipped the pole attached to his back so it lay on his shoulder and the opposite end did an effective uppercut on Mr. Earlobes' chin, knocking him out just as quickly. Gon immediately turned to the fallen angel and was met with two fiery orange eyes staring back up at him in shock.

Feeling great happiness at seeing this delicate person again, the inventor let out a small grin. "Are you okay?" He offered a hand but it was ignored. Instead the robot rose to his feet while nervously brushing his long silver bangs to cover his face. _He must not like people seeing his face. But I can't imagine why._ Gon mused. He snapped out of his thoughts when the other took a frantic step back to eye the inventor in awe. _Oh, he must recognize me._ And that filled Gon's chest with a strange flighty glow.

"I-I-I'm f-fine. Th-Thank you-u." The angel in his eyes stuttered even more than usual. The tone was amazing and akin to a soft bell on sore ears. This definitely wasn't the same person as Killua. A beautiful flush colored those pale cheeks. Instead of getting mad, Gon reached out to pat him on the head. His hair was so soft.

"Don't mention it. We've met before, right?" When the other looked down to play with the ends of his cloak, Gon's smile faltered. A few second passed with this and Gon inwardly panicked. Maybe he had perceived everything wrong and this was a misunderstanding. His awkwardness was coming out again. "I-I uh, unless you don't remember me. I guess it's hard to remember someone you've only seen once! Of course I wasn't trying to impose or anything but you were in trouble an- oh no! We have to fix that bleeding or else it'll ruin your clothes and, and…" He trailed off when he noticed the other staring at him, the tips of his mouth twitching up in a smile. "I'll be quiet now."

"You're really nice."

Gon blinked. "Eh? I am…?"

"The nicest person I've met." The robot laughed; no longer was there a trace of a stammer in his voice. "And…I do remember you."

The inventor let out a forced smile. With how he treated Mito, Killua, and his own life; no, he wasn't a nice person at all. He was selfish. Somehow he felt like he was a liar and it planted a restless seed in his stomach. "Ah, thank goodness! I'm Gon, and your name is…?"

"I-I'm Daidaiiro." *****

But, he was a very good liar.

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

"**Liar.**"

The man smirked in wretched glee. "I didn't lie, brat. I never told anyone, I _showed_ them."

"Paladinight; while I appreciate your rubbing of salt in the wounds, I do not want you fraternizing with my targets." There, in the shadows, emerged a short mustached man however, this one wore a pocket watch instead of a monocle. With a smile that spread from ear to ear, he faced the robot in fake concern. "Now Killua-kun. I believe we already established that you come with us quietly if you don't want me to let go of this button, didn't we?" He purposely shined a device that was built into his belt. A ragged smelly thump held it closed so it was impossible to snatch without triggering.

For the second time that day, Killua narrowed his eyes. He was stupid for not paying attention to the nature of that Paladinight's hug. Neither of them noticed the bug he planted on Gon which could detonate at a push of a button. Killua nearly scoffed. Just being around this suddenly nicer and warmer Gon had left his senses dull. He needed to kill someone, quick, before it was too late. Despite this, he retracted his steel claws. "**Understood.**"

"How strange, I've heard battle robots are supposed to be heartless." By now they had crossed that sandy field of men burying bodies and reached a hidden staircase which led into a hallway made of plastic. A few corridors in and they were exposed to giant glass panes with containment tubes littering the other side of the room. Countless bodies of long dead but famous, strong, or beautiful people lay inside. It was a complete monopoly of preserved corpses. This was that same mafia that attacked Gon and made a living off of selling dead bodies as a display. Killua tried to make out who looked like a 'Mito-san' out of them. "Are you sure this is correct, Paladinight?"

"Positive, vice-boss!" Leorio yelled indignant. "I saw him shoot lightning and he nearly killed me with those claw things! I don't get how the most powerful model ended up with a kid like that either but it happened, right?"

"I suppose, but I still can't believe it…" he stroked his beard. "Well, this one's probably just trying to keep himself from being punished." When any robot betrays their master, a setting in their system would automatically send the machine through unimaginable episodes of pain. It was a form of insurance for the humans.

Their clattered footsteps echoed in the hallway. They couldn't have been more mismatched, with Leorio's faltering every few moments, the vice-boss's booming, and Killua's as silent as an assassin. They finally reached a small room with straps and an operating table at the center. "All of the world's most powerful mafia families own a Killua bot. A whole lot of them only are so great because they have one. They're only meant to be used." Killua blinked. He should've been…what was that word? Angry…? But he didn't really care. "That kid was really wasting a good robot. Oh, you may leave now, Leorio. Good work."

Leorio stopped, dumbfounded. "H-Hey, wait a second…! I got you a Killua X model out of the goodness of my heart. Don't I get payment for this? I-I'm expecting a raise!"

"And you'll get one." At that, the tall man in glasses seemed to relax. "You can run two bombs a day to the desert instead of one, how about that?"

"W-Wh-WHAT?!" Killua side stepped as Leorio grabbed the vice-boss by the collar and easily lifted him five feet in the air. Just as well, because Leorio wasn't allowed to say anything but rather show the man a Killua bot, he had no chance to negotiate. "LOOK, MAN! I joined this ratty organization because I needed the money and all you've given me is a permanent limp, burn marks that'll never go away, and a hundred dollars in TWO YEARS!"

"Oh boo hoo. Really, Paladinight; calm down. By running two bombs and doing all that excellent repair work you're already so keen on, you'll make an extra ten bucks a year-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT SHIT!" Raising a well-muscled arm, Leorio socked the man across the room. He crashed into the opposing wall, nearly leaving a dent in the plastic and a hard purple bruise near his eye. "HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO PAY PIETRO'S MEDICAL BILLS LIKE THIS?!"

Leorio took deep breaths in. His eyes trailed the blood from which was leaking from the short man's nose in an ugly disarray. He knew he was screwed, dead perhaps but none of that deterred him. The man straightened himself out. "I'm beating the shit out of you."

"And then what…?" His bloodied mustache rustled. From within his pockets, he pressed an alert button to call for the guards to seize him. He still needed Leorio's precise skills alive for now. "You'll just be jobless again in this horrible place. You can't even leave because your dear, dear friend is here and he'd die the instant you remove the wires. What a pathetic man you are. My brother the so-called boss agrees."

That was when guards with Tasers swamped the entryway. Leorio felt himself grabbed by arms even bigger than his and yanked against the floor painfully as he was dragged away. He went kicking and screaming, gripping the edge of the doorway, only for the pocket watch man to slam it on his fingers without mercy. They didn't come off but Killua saw the action left trails of blood behind on the perfectly white walls.

"…So, you aren't going to rescue him with the power of friendship?" The vice-boss chirped sarcastically.

"**If it's not my master, I have no business in it.**"

He burst out laughing in some sound that was a cross between a hyena and a growling lion. "That's why I love you robots; nothing like that weepy Paladinight or slow pig Milluki! Yes, yes, I see, your _master_ as you call it. The name, profile, voice, scent, and smell of this master are downloaded into your system and that's how you recognize who to take orders from."

"…"

"Now let's get to the main point. I am the vise-boss and my twin brother is the boss around here. My name is Happy." The name would've sent shivers down anyone else's spine. He sneered until the tips of his lips nearly touched his ears. It was as if the crescent moon had descended right where his mouth should be. "Shut down for an hour or two, would you? This table here contains the latest in robot technology. I must make a few changes to your program. I assure you that they're favourable ones…unless of course, you want that bomb to go off. I even promise to disable the explosion if you comply here. If I remember correctly, your system punishes you if your current master, the child, dies. You have little choice." So misleadingly, the crescent sunk back in favor for the wrinkles of his face curling to form a gentle smile. "Either way, _I win_."

"**Fool.**"

Happy's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. Then, he laughed again.

"A _happy_ fool I am."

-H-H-H-H-H-H-

*** Daidaiiro is Japanese for the colour orange.**

**This is the part where Leorio gets super powers and saves the day with his awesomeness, hulk-style. Sorry if Daidaiiro and Gon's flashback in the beginning confuse some of you. I assure you that Gon's past and Daidaiiro's purpose in the story will be revealed in due time. **

**JanKenPon will probably be updated sometime in May or later when school's out. I really can't tell when I get random inspiration. I already have an idea for the next story though.**


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